


Modelesque

by asimpleword



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 15:22:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7579291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asimpleword/pseuds/asimpleword
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Garcia, JJ, and Prentiss begin acting strange around Reid, he intends to find out why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Modelesque

When Reid walks by Garcia's office, the very last thing he expects to hear is giggling. It's the kind of giggling that makes him feel like he's the only one left out of the loop, and that thought is too agonizingly close to his memories of high school, so he brushes it away in favor of something less likely to be painful for him.

Less likely - meaning, not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

"Where did you even _find_ these?"

When Reid pokes his head inside Garcia's open doorway, the giggling abruptly stops when the three girls huddled together inside become aware to his presence. Reid grimaces. He isn't sure he wants to know, anymore. Garcia, Prentiss, and JJ are all trying to look so innocent that Reid is afraid they might eat him alive if he even asks. Garcia especially.

"Hey, genius," Garcia greets slowly, voice sliding into that of a hungry predator about to descend on its unknowing prey. And oh, that is anything but good. Prentiss and JJ wave in greeting, all too harmless in their actions.

"Hi, Garcia. Anything I should know about?" Reid asks carefully, suspicious. Last time they acted like this they ended up trying to get him to wear jeans that were probably two sizes two small and an incredibly tight t-shirt to a club. They'd almost succeeded. Almost. Morgan had saved him at the last second right before he'd finally caved to their badgering.

"Hm?" Garcia feigns ignorance, "Oh, no. Just girl stuff. Unless you wanna ogle pictures of hot models with us."

She raises an eyebrow like she thinks Reid would even consider doing just that. Reid isn't exactly heterosexual, but he doesn't find staring at pictures of shirtless men (or women, for that matter) all that exciting.

Reid doesn't miss the way her eyes twinkle. Whatever she said holds some hidden meaning to Prentiss and JJ, judging by their pursed smiles and contained laughter.

But, he has no doubt in the truth of that statement, so he presses his lips together and shakes his head, "Yeah, not really. But uh, thanks."

"M'kay," Garcia accepts too easily, finger returning to swiping across her screen. Presumably, to scroll through more of the aforementioned pictures. JJ, leaning over one shoulder, gasps, and Prentiss's eyebrows raise from behind the other. They're both still grinning like the cats who got the cream, though when Garcia meets his eyes again just before he leaves, something in her expression is soft. He doesn't quite get to figure it out before she swipes again and the three of them let out appreciative noises that Reid decidedly does not want to hear.

"He looks so good!" Garcia sighs, "Why doesn't he dress like that _now_?"

He backs out of the doorway, and quietly leaves them to their 'girl time'.

❯ ❯ ❯

"187!" Garcia totters quickly up to him in the funny way she does when she's in heels, hands out to balance herself. Except, in one hand, she's got a shopping bag. "I have a surprise for you!" She shakes the bag excitedly.

"Oh, what is it?" Reid asks, curious, but still dubious. For all he knows, Garcia's just bought him another atrocious, bright pink, sparkly monstrosity of a stuffed animal. Which he definitely does not keep stashed in the back of his closet because he couldn't bring himself to throw it away.

"Alright, so, you know we're going out to a bar later with everyone? Well, I bought you an outfit. Cause genius, as cute as the nerdy look is on you, you need to try something else for once."

Reid does not favor the way this conversation is going. He doesn't need a repeat of the (almost) time at the club. But before he can vehemently appose anything, Garcia is shoving the bag at him and patting his chest.

"Wear that tonight. With those nice black shoes you know I like."

Reid is confused. Most of his shoes _are_ black. How is he supposed to know which ones she likes?

His face must express his confusion, because Garcia sighs.

"Just not the roughed up tennis shoes you're so fond of. And stop worrying, I made sure everything will fit you just right. Nothing crazy, either. Trust me on this one, genius."

Then Garcia bounces off again, and Reid sighs as he resigns himself to doing what Garcia says. If he doesn't, he's positive she'll eat him alive. He wonders if he should worry that he's now used that metaphor twice in three days about Garcia. Or that he's caved so easily to her demands.

When Reid arrives at his apartment, he takes the bag back to his bedroom to inspect what Garcia has chosen for him. She'd seemed sincere when she said it wasn't bad, so he believes that he won't be trying to squeeze his ass into jeans so tight they border on painful.

The jeans he does take out of the bag, however similar they look to the last pair, are definitely bigger. They're black, and when he pulls them on they're definitely skinny jeans, but they're also comfortable. Almost too comfortable; like Garcia got them tailored. He wouldn't be surprised, but that also means she somehow found out his measurements.

Garcia is very, very scary when she wants to be.

The shirts surprise him. The first one is plain black with a rounded neck and short sleeves that clings to him more than he's used to. The second, however, is a classic red and black flannel shirt with rolled up sleeves that he presumes he's supposed to wear over the black one.

Reid wonders if this is because of the pictures Garcia was looking at with JJ and Prentiss the other day. It's not exactly a long shot. She probably got inspired, and Reid is her easiest target. In fact, he's vaguely convinced she sees him as some newborn baby bird she needs to take care of and nurture before allowing out into the world.

Just to spite her in the least noticeable and not at all cowardly way as possible, Reid puts on his tennis shoes, because they're comfortable and he thinks they match, anyway.

When he catches himself in the mirror, he has to concede that Garcia did a very good job of picking out something flattering but still simple.

That doesn't, however, mean that he doesn't feel a bit stupid and self conscious. He hasn't dressed like this in a very long time, and certainly not in front of his friends and coworkers, or even anywhere public. Reid is well out his comfort zone, here.

Damn Penelope Garcia.

❯ ❯ ❯

"Oh, my gosh!" Garcia punctuates her words heavily, very clearly pleased with herself and Reid's appearance. He tries not to shrink into himself at the attention and smiles hesitantly at her. He doesn't miss the way her mouth tics at his shoes, but she chooses not to mention it. "You look great Reid, I did good," she assures, looping an arm through his to walk with him to the entrance of the bar.

JJ and Prentiss agree with her rather loudly when they spot him. There's an overwhelming amount of squealing, and too much attention, and Reid flushes with his embarrassment. JJ catches his eye, smile soft and reassuring, and Reid finds himself just a tad calmer by it. Prentiss helps when she draws Garcia into a different line of conversation, and Reid relaxes much easier when the attention is no longer centered on him.

Once they're inside, the tension in Reid's shoulders ratchets up again at the mass of strangers, but Garcia is still linked with him, and JJ pats his back gently, so the anxiety dims in their presence.

Hotch is already inside seated at the bar with Rossi when they walk in, and Reid doesn't miss the way they both raise their eyebrows at him. Hotch doesn't say anything besides greeting him, but Rossi leans over to whisper.

"Garcia?" he asks, and Reid smiles hesitantly with a gentle laugh as he nods his head.

"Unfortunately," Reid confirms, to which Garcia swats at him before returning to her conversation with Prentiss and JJ.

"Woah! Pretty boy, look at you. Finally got a sense of style that isn't for someone over sixty?" Reid hears Morgan behind him, voice teasing, but there's a strain to it that Reid hasn't heard before. Garcia smirks at him from behind the rim of her glass, and winks. Reid doesn't get a moment to think about why she does it before Morgan is slinging an arm around his shoulders heavily and clapping his arm.

"You can - uh, thank Garcia for that," Reid says, a little dryly, but he isn't angry. Abashed, perhaps, but he appreciates the effort Garcia puts into trying to make him feel a little more normal. A little more like he belongs; even if her methods are unconventional and possibly motivated by purely selfish reasons, if her mischievous nature about it is anything to go by.

"I think I will," Morgan laughs, and Reid flushes at what that implies. It only takes a second for Morgan to realize exactly what he's said, and he runs a hand over the back of his head awkwardly, but he's still smiling, so Reid figures it isn't as bad as he'd first assumed. He's proven correct when their topic veers off easily into something entirely different and the tenseness fades with it.

Despite the fact Reid's sudden fashion change isn't brought up in conversation again, he's still hyper aware of himself just a bit more than he usually is. Every time someone glances his way, or stares when they think he isn't paying enough attention to notice, Reid is painfully aware of it.

More specifically, the way Morgan stares far more than normal. Reid is used to the way he and Morgan are attuned to each other in a way they aren't to anyone else, a little more attentive to each others needs and movements. It's just the way they are. But this staring? He doesn't quite recall ever being part of their dynamic, not to this extent. Unless it's just Reid's own heightened awareness amplifying everything Morgan says or does.

Reid isn't stupid, and he knows the most plausible cause for Morgan's behavior. That doesn't mean he believes his forming hypothesis about it. The only bit of information to support it is his offhanded comment from before, anyway, and that can be attributed to Morgan's naturally flirtatious nature.

However, it does make Reid ponder as to when he was included in the list of people Morgan flirts with.

But then- there's the doubt that Morgan will ever see Reid as anything but the little brother he never had. He's never treated Reid as anything but family and there's no reason to think any of that has changed, not until now. Factoring in Reid's change of appearance, one considered more 'normal', there's a definite chance this is an isolated incident and as soon as Reid returns to dressing as usual, Morgan will cease this abnormal behavior.

As much as Reid dislikes change, he can't find it in himself to be more than unnerved by this new development, not if his (although unlikely) prediction is correct, however terrifying that thought is.

Relationships all on their _own_ are intimidating. The prospect of trusting someone enough to bare so much to them, of so willingly opening up to them is overwhelming, to say the least, and Reid has little experience with it. He is not completely unseasoned, but he flounders when it comes to expressing his feelings most times and physical contact has never been easy for him. Even with the team, at times he finds touch strange or irritating or unpleasant.

Morgan bumps a shoulder against his and replaces his arm from where he had taken it from around Reid's shoulders, and for once, Reid finds himself leaning into it, and not away.

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure if it's obvious yet, but Reid will find out why the girls have been acting weird in hopefully the next (and last) chapter. Maaaybe three, depending on how it all plays out.
> 
> I needed a bit of a mental break from my other ongoing CM fic, because it's a very heavy one and I wanted something cheerful and humorous in between writing for that fic. So there's this! I hope they aren't horribly OOC or anything, I'm still very much new to writing for this fandom so I'm still learning how to get their characters down well.  
> Leave a review, if you please. They motivate me so ♡


End file.
